Time recording device



y 1, 1953 A. MARC-HAND 2,646,334

TIME RECORDING DEVICE Filed June 5, 1950 lllllllllllllllllllllll mono 91 ma n: mm wm NN\ m'mmq m mz.* u-a':n E t i l ii li i i 2222 222222 k 42%;; )nMQLW am 2 M Patented July 21, 1953 v 4 2,646,334

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TIME RECORDING DEVICE Andr Marchand, Bern, Switzerland, assignor to The Race Finish Recording Company Limited, London, England Application J line 5, 1950, Serial No. 166,231 In Switzerland June 10, 1949 2 Claims. (Cl. 346-407) This invention relates to a time recording de- Figure 1 is a'diagrammatic view of the device, vice: the invention is concerned with the photowhile Figure 2 shows a part of the developed film graphic recording of movements and while it is which is produced by the apparatus shown in Figmainly for use in recording sporting events such r ure 1 and Figure 2 is a detail view. as races and so on it is capable of general appli- Referring to the drawings, a camera of the cation: in what follows, terms such as the fincontinuously moving film type already referred ishing line appropriate to sporting events will to includes a screen I with adjustable slot which be used for convenience although it is to be unwhen the apparatus is in use is trained on to the derstood that the invention is not limited to such finishing line of a race-course. This screen I is use. m located between the film 2 which is (in use) con- The task of the judge in such is often difficult tinuously advanced at the same or substantially and at times is almost impossible as the contestthe same speed as the image which will be,proants generally reach the finishing post in rapid .jected on to it by the optical system 3 of the succession. It is known to employ for such events camera. The slot in the screen I is somewhat cinematographic apparatus and it has beensugwider towards the top so that the beam of light gested that an optical device should be incorprojecting the figures of a counter may pass porated in the camera in such a way that the therethrough, as'will be explained. Incorporated image of a watch will be reproduced on the film, in this apparatus is a counter which consists of so making it possible to read the exact time taken. a series of four drums 4 such as are-well known The invention however is concerned more esto be used in the construction of totalizers. The pecially with that type of recording device in drums 4 bear figures indicating hours, minutes, which a camera causes a film to be advanced'conseconds and hundredths of a second respectively. tinuously at a speed corresponding to the speed Each of them rotates at such a speed that the at which the images of the contestants are proexact time may be read continuously on a tangent jected onto the film so that their images will be parallel to the common axis of the drums. The sharp in spite of their movement, the field of first drum is driven continuously and the other the camera being restricted by a slit aperture to drums are advanced intermittently from the first a narrow band covering the finishing line. in the manner which is well known.

The main object of the present invention is to The drums 4 are surrounded by a thin cylinprovide improved apparatus by which it is ps- D drical casing or mask 5 which rotates around sible to time events with great accuracy. them at the rate of five revolutions a second.

This invention consists in providing in combi- A lamp system 6 in connection with condensors nation with such a camera a rotary drum or disc 7 projects on the casing 5 a strong and continutype oicounter which is subjected to a continuous ous light beam. The mask 5 shields the drums 4 source of illumination but the time markings of from illumination by the lamp system 6 except which are exposed to the illumination only at for intermittent illumination at regular interpredetermined intervals by a rotatable cylindrivals governed by rotation of the mask 5; because cal mask which surrounds the elements of the the mask is in the form of a hollow cylinder it is counter and which has in its periphery a series of possible to provide a number of slots 5' which enopenings which expose the markings on the eleable the drums to be exposed to illumination at ments to the illumination at regular intervals: very short intervals; thus this mask can be formed the images of the exposed markings are projectas is shown in the developed form in Figure 3 ed by an optical device on to the film level with with ten longitudinal slots 5' uniformly spaced on the images of the contestants and following one its periphery: through these'slots it is possible another in continuous succession along the film. to observe the figures of the drums 4 correspond- In order to ensure that the numerals are exing to all the even hundredths of a second. A posed at definite regular intervals, the counter second series of shorter slots is interspersed as and the mask are positively ct d to e e shown at 5 between the slots of the first series y gearing so that t y o te in Synehronism and shows only lines corresponding to the odd and thus prevent the change-over of the markh d dth of a secgnd S om getting 0111? Of p With their D The casing 5 is varnished with matt black while sure to illumination. the drums 4 are coated with a white colouring The accompanying drawings show by way of matter, the figures being engraved in black. example an embodiment of the device according It will be understood that each hundredth of to the invention. a second one of the long slots or one of the small slots uncovers in the light field either the complete set of the figures or a line corresponding to an odd hundredth of a second, and an image of these figures or line is projected on the film 2 by the optical device 8 to l I each time they pass in front of one of the slots.

The width of the slots and their speed of rotation are combined in such a manner that each figure is visible for a period of /7 second. This very short time of exposure permits the projection of a sharp image on the film, the speed of which is relatively slow.

The counter 4, 5 may have its" figures reset to zero before a race by means of the knob [2. The counter 4 and mask 5 are both driven by a motor 13 and fixed ratio positive drive means.

such as the gearing shown in Figure 1. The speed of the motor is exactly controlled by a quartz electron device (not shown). A clutch M inserted between themotor l3 and the counter 5, 5 permits the counter to be started either at will or automatically and for this purpose an electric device including a magnet 15 and an armature It can be provided to permit of a remote control of the clutch M.

The operation of the time recording device is as follows:

The device is firmly secured with the slot in the screen I aligned with the finishing line.

The motor start of the race, the clutch control I5, it having previously been electrically connected to a signalling apparatus at the starting-post, e. g. to the starting pistol or the like.

The starting signal causes the counter 4, 5 to be coupled with the motor l3 so that the counter begins running from the zero setting. From that moment, at each hundredth of a second, images of the figures indicating the time which has elapsed since the start or of the lines for the odd hundredths of a second, are projected on the film 2.

Shortly before the arrival of the contestants the film 2 has to be put in motion. The speed of film movement should be adjusted proportionally to that of the contestants so that their images projected by the optical system 8 to H3 move at the same rate as the film itself. From that moment the figures giving the time which has elapsed since the start are registered on the film strip facing the slot of the screen I and as the device has been directed exactly on the finishing line, images of the contestants are also formed on the film as they arrive on the said line.

Once the finish has been completed it is necessary to develop only the used part of the film by any of the well-known methods for rapid development and then to draw on the film a transverse line on the film registered to some given point on each contestant e. g. in the case of runner registered, the chest of each runner in accordance with international rules, or, in the case of a horse race, the muzzle should be selected. The exact time taken by a contestant can now be read on the side of the film (see Fig. 2).

i3 is started shortly before the :i

What I claim is:

1. A time-recording device comprising a camera having means to move a film continuously, an optical projection system including a slit aperture component projecting uninterruptedly on to the film as it is moving, a rotatable multi-element disc counter having time-notation markings, a constantly acting source of illumination. a hollow cylindrical mask shrouding the counter elements from the source of illumination, the mask having a series of exposure openings regularly spaced about its periphery, a. single electric motor to rotate continuously the first element of the. counter and the mask to cause the time notation markings on the counter elements to be intermittently illuminated, fixed ratio drive means to connect the said first element, the counter. and the mask positively for rotation in unison whereby the time notation markings are intermittently illuminated at regular intervals through the successive exposure openings, and an optical system to project the intermittently illuminated markings of the counter elements on to the film.

2. A time-recording device comprising a camera, means to move a photographic film continuously, an optical projection system including a slit aperture component projecting continuously on to the film, a rotatable multi-element counter having time-notation indications, a constantly acting source of illumination, a rotatable cylindrical mask surrounding the counter device and being thereby interposed between the source of illumination and the counter device, the said mask having a series of exposure openings spaced about its periphery, a single drive means to rotate the first element of the counter and the mask continuously, fixed ratio drive means positively connecting the mask and the said first element of the counter for rotation in unison whereby the time-notation markings are successively exposed through successive exposure openings at regular time intervals to the source of illumination for projection on the film, certain of said openings being of a length to register simultaneously with and effect exposure of the timenotation markings on a plurality of elements of said counter, and other of said openings being interspersed between said certain of said openings and being of a length to register with and effect exposure of less than said plurality of said counter elements, and an electrically operable device to initiate the operation of the driving means.

ANDRE MARCHAND.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,257,100 Belock Sept. 30, 1941 2,403,911 Crowley -1 July 16, 1946 2,430,975 Crowley Nov. 18, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 515,261 Germany Nov. '7, 1928 

